Germany controlled Thursday's game against the U.S. until the final minutes before closing out a 1-0 win.

But the U.S. got some help from Cristiano Ronaldo, whose late goal led Portugal to a 2-1 win over Ghana. With the U.S. outpacing Portugal on goal differential, the primary tiebreaker, they placed second in the group, which means they live to play another day. In this case, it will be Tuesday against Belgium.

Thousands of USA fans in Buffalo, N.Y. on Thursday, June 26, 2014, react to the USA advancing to the next round of the World Cup after their 1-0 loss to Germany. The large crowd watched the game on large screen TVs at Canalside in Buffalo. (AP Photo/The Buffalo News, James P. McCoy) AP

The Germans held 67.5 percent of the possession, and it wasn't until stoppage time that the U.S. truly threatened to score. All the claims that the U.S. would play for a win looked hard to take seriously after a game in which they sat deep in defense and basically waited for counterattack and set piece opportunities. Precious few of those came. Midfielder Brad Davis got his first start and was invisible, reminding everyone that the teams all-time leading goal-scorer, Landon Donovan, is back home in the States watching on television when he could have been filling Davis' role.

Still, the U.S. has advanced, and that is significant.

This group was supposed to be the Group of Death, arguably the toughest in the tourney. Germany and Portugal are both ranked among FIFA's top four, with Portugal led by the reigning world player of the year and Germany home to arguably the world's best league. Meanwhile, Ghana had beaten the U.S. in the 2006 and 2010 World Cups. The U.S. is ranked 13th, but few would have put money on the team advancing.

But they did, for the fourth time in the last six World Cups, putting three North and Central American teams into the second round for the first time ever. And the U.S. did it while their best pure striker, Jozy Altidore, was injured almost the entire time.

Thursday's World Cup scores

Germany 1, USA 0

Portugal 2, Ghana 1

Belgium 1, South Korea 0

Russia 1, Algeria 1

What's next for the USA?

Belgium's Marouane Fellaini, left, heads the ball during the group H World Cup soccer match between South Korea and Belgium at the Itaquerao Stadium in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Thursday, June 26, 2014. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)Felipe Dana

Belgium overcame a Steven Defour red card to score a short-handed goal and record a 1-0 win Thursday in Sao Paolo. The win put them atop Group H and into the second round slot against the United States at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday in Brasilia.

Coming into the tourney, Belgium was a dark horse team for so many people that they ceased to be a dark horse. They won every game in their group but didn't necessarily impress doing it, sometimes struggling to get past opponents in one of the tournament's weakest groups.

Still, this is a talented team, with most of its starters playing in top tier leagues in Europe. They also demolished the U.S. in a friendly last year, winning 4-2 in Cleveland.

The U.S. will definitely enter the game an underdog, but Belgium is a team they can beat.

What's wrong with Michael Bradley?

Few predicted the U.S. to advance to the second round, but even those who did surely could not have imagined they would do it with Michael Bradley playing as poorly as he has in attack.

Germany's Philipp Lahm challenges United States' Michael Bradley (4) for the ball during the group G World Cup soccer match between the USA and Germany at the Arena Pernambuco in Recife, Brazil, Thursday, June 26, 2014. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)Hassan Ammar

Bradley is the team's offensive fulcrum, the engine that drives the U.S. attack. U.S. soccer fans have seen it so many times, Bradley seemingly moving in effortless, slow motion as he maintains possession among a host of defenders.

But Bradley's touch has been off throughout the tourney, and he has turned the ball over far more than is customary for him. Notably, it was his giveaway against Portugal that led to the counterattack that produced the game-tying goal.

After three games in the hottest areas of Brazil - the north - Bradley could be exhausted. But to get past Belgium, the U.S. will need Bradley at his best.

Second round set

The second round is now set, and it looks like this.

The second round World Cup bracket (Graphic: The Associated Press)

After a day off on Friday, the second round will begin Saturday with Brazil-Chile at noon ET and Uruguay-Colombia at 4 pm. ET.

Player of the day: Islam Slimani, Algeria. Slimani's 60th minute goal put Algeria into the second round for the first time ever.

Suspension of the day: Luis Suarez, Uruguay. FIFA has suspended Suarez, perhaps the world's best striker, for four months after he bit - yes, a bite - Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini during Uruguay's 1-0 win over Italy on Tuesday. This is the third time Suarez has been suspended for biting an opponent. On the bright side, the Internet exploded with Suarez jokes, memes and nicknames, including my personal favorite nickname, The Cannibal.

In Uruguay, Luis Suarez advertises a jacuzzi. Or as he calls it, The Slow Cooker. #Mileage

Quote of the day: "If you're going to dive, make it a proper dive." - ESPN commentator Alejandro Moreno, on Belgium's Marouane Fellaini. Moreno, a retired Venezuelan international, was a rather renowned flopper in his days in Major League Soccer.

Best game to watch Saturday: Brazil-Chile. Brazil is the host country and tournament favorite, but Mexico and Croatia revealed their weaknesses in the group stage. Chile is one of the world's best attacking teams, as is Brazil. Whoever the winner it is, one thing is sure: This one will be fun to watch.